Jefferson County plans crackdown on alcohol related crimes

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

(KTVI)-- Jefferson County authorities plan on cracking down on alcohol related crimes this month. Efforts include making sure retailers are not selling alcohol to minors, making sure parents are not supplying kids with alcohol for prom and graduation parties and rolling out sobriety checkpoints.

Some county residents have been outspoken in their opposition to the checkpoints.
They feel they violate the rights of innocent drivers. The Jefferson County Council initially rejected a federal grant paying for overtime to staff the checkpoints.

Sheriff Glenn Boyer says a compromise was reached and funding for sobriety checkpoints was passed while funding for seat belt enforcement was left out. Boyer says his department can still conduct seat belt enforcement. He just won`t have federal funds available.

Boyer said every year since he`s been sheriff, a high school student has either died or been involved in a serious wreck involving alcohol around the end of the school year. He believes the checkpoints help curtail drinking and driving.